Harman Kardon reveals in-ear and on-ear headphone range

High-end audio manufacturer Harman Kardon has announced a line of in-ear and on-ear
headphones with a remarkably cuboid design.

The in-ears comprise the NI and AE models. The NI's earbuds have
a 9mm driver encased in a rectangular black housing, "shaped like
the back of an iPhone," says the
company, along with a three-button remote and a built-in
microphone. They come with three sizes of silicon sleeve, which you
can swap out depending on how massive or tiny your ear-holes
are.

The AE model, on the other hand, has a more robust aluminium
casing, to which the 9mm drivers are tuned to maximise the bass
response. They're the same shape as the NIs, and come with the same
silicon sleeves, plus a Comply foam sleeve. Also like the NIs, the
headphones are supplied with an in-line microphone and three-button
remote.

In the on-ear depeartment, the CL model's frame is built from
sand-blasted steel, and the hinges are metal too. Again, the
earcups are rectangular, which Harmon Kardon says: "reflect the
iPhone's iconic design". Following a similar line of thought, they
also reflect a cardboard box's iconic design. Inside, 40mm drivers
are baffled
to improve bass frequencies, and the cable is both detachable
(making them easily replacable) and covered by tightly-woven fabric
for durability.

Finally, the on-ear BT model shares a lot of similarities with
the CLs, but adds Bluetooth capabilities and an integrated
microphone. Playback buttons sit alongside one ear cup so you can
control the music, and they're charged by an included USB cable. If
they run out of batteries, they'll still work fine connected up in
passive mode with a regular 3.5mm headphone jack.

The NIs cost £90, the AEs are £130, the CL model costs £170 and
the Bluetooth BTs cost £220. All four models are available now from
Apple stores and apple.com.